Brothers Avatar - The Legend of Two Avatars
by EdgarGConnors
Summary: Taresc and Xulo are twin brothers, they are thrown on an unexpected journey when Xulo realizes that he's the Avatar. The only things is, Taresc is also the Avatar and doesn't want to tell Xulo. So they begin their journey to exterminate the Stormbenders, a dangerous cult made up of waterbenders and airbenders. This story is set 2-4 full avatar cycles before Aang.
1. Chapter 1 - The Fateful First Step

Brothers Avatar

The Legend of Two Avatars

Book 1 – Family

Chapter 1 – The Fateful First Step

Taresc carried his two buckets of water, leaving little room for breath. As he set down each bucket he began to run to off to go fetch some more when he heard a familiar voice. "Xulo, slow down, honey!" The voice came from Fey Baikal.

Taresc nearly fell flat on his face turning around, "Hi, Mrs. Baikal, it's Taresc actually."

"Oh I knew that! What's the matter, sweetie?"

"The matter? Is anything the matter? I'm-" Taresc let out a disparaging puff of air, "I'm doing just as I'm usually doing."

"Well, that's hardly the truth, but I suppose I won't pry," Taresc let out a tiny pained smile, "Have you collected all the water for this week, yet?"

"Just about." Collecting water was necessity for the town of Dayue. Dayue was a sleepy town set on the western most peninsula of the Earth Kingdom, set in the middle of a clearing in the woods. The town was fairly self-sufficient, but each resident had to collect their own share of water from the pond nearby. That wasn't Dayue's biggest problem however, that was its insubstantiality. Most maps didn't include Dayue, due to their lack of attractions and unremarkable size. Dayue was only home to a few residents, most of which only stay because of family history. As few of them that there are, they're a fairly kind bunch. Dayue's most notable feature was a shrine to Avatar Rinley, set in the Kai Mountain Range, which was still miles away. Dayue sits at the bottom of the southernmost part of the Kai Mountain Range while the shrine is up north. Mrs. Baikal's house was on the northern outskirts of town, right by the mountain range.

"Oh thank the heavens for you, Taresc, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you and your brother." Mrs. Baikal has been acting as guardian for Taresc and Xulo ever since their parents had passed away, "By the by, have you seen Minege anywhere today?"

"Minege? No, but Xulo would probably know, they're usually hanging out at this time."

"Probably… or she's on that alligator-duck again… I swear… Taresc, does the smell of that thing bother you as much as it bothers me? Or how it nibbles on the house?"

"I don't know, not really, I find Tanton kind of cute."

"Yeah, I'm sure you would Taresc!" Mrs. Baikal let out a hearty laugh, but Taresc's eye were still shifting around, "Alright Taresc!" she went around and grabbed his arms, "If I don't get an answer from you on why you are so down in the dumps, I'm going to pick up and toss you into Tanton's pen, is that what you want."

Taresc giggled softly and conceded, "Okay, but you can't—"

"Taresc!" Xulo's booming voice shouted. Xulo was earthbending a rock slide down the mountain range as fast as his feet could possibly move him. Baikal moved into her house to avoid the usual gravel spray Xulo's earthbending brings. Xulo stopped the earth slide and landed right in front Taresc. "Taresc, I need to show you something." As predicted, gravel mottled Taresc's face.

While Taresc was spitting out dirt Mrs. Baikal came out of her house took Xulo aside and whispered, "You can tell me after he's done with you," Xulo gave Baikal a perplexed look, "Wait, you're not Taresc are you? I swear you two need to start wearing color-coded headbands, because I tell you I don't have the time these days to stare at your faces trying to decipher which one of you is which." Mrs. Baikal and the rest of the village have had the trouble of telling twins Xulo and Taresc apart ever since the two were born. While they do look identical, there are certain differences that the village has used to tell them apart. Taresc's hair is almost always longer than Xulo's, as every time Taresc would shave his black hair, Xulo would forget to do it for a week or so. Xulo was stronger built than Taresc, but conversely Taresc was slightly taller than Xulo. Xulo's face is always stern with piercing brown eyes and Taresc has softer features and lighter hazel eyes. When together it was fairly easy to tell one from the other, but when apart, it was nearly impossible to differentiate.

"Fey," Baikal glared, "Mrs. Baikal, my apologies, I need Taresc." He turned to Taresc and stared dragging him, "Taresc, we're going"

Baikal stopped them, "Hold up! Xulo, have you seen Minege?"

Xulo was trotting in his spot, "Minege? I think she said she'd be down at the beach giving Tanton a bath."

"That alligator-duck, I swear," she said under her breath, shaking her head to the side, "Well, you two—"when she looked up the two of them were skating the land to the shore with Taresc lagging behind.

* * *

><p>Xulo had successfully dragged Taresc out of the forest, past Dayue and to the shore. The shoreline continued as far as the eyes could see with large rocks stabbing out of the sand like fingers of a giant. Out past the sea one could see the Western Air Temple on the horizon. Xulo and Taresc used to come here all the time when they wanted to get away from their parents or to train.<p>

"Well Xulo? What is it?"

"Lean in close." Xulo closed his hand into a fist and Taresc inclined. Taresc kept his unimpressed look on his face as he stared into the wonder of Xulo's fist.

"Are you going punch me in the face, is that the joke?" Xulo then flicked his hand open and revealed a flame. "Xulo… is that… are you…?"

Xulo extinguished the flame and stood proud, "I'm the Avatar, Taresc! I'm Avatar Xulo, and I do expect you to call me that… Tare?" Taresc wasn't responding, he looked forward in shock and a tad confused, "Tare, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm—" Taresc busted into tears, "I'm just so happy for you!"

"You don't have to be jealous if that's what you're crying about. You know the phrase, right? 'You come out of the womb first, you get the Avatar privileges?'" Taresc laughed gently and wiped the tears from his eyes, "The White Lotus soldiers are going to be pretty surprised when they see that the one village they didn't check was the one with the Avatar."

"Wait, Xulo, do you think we should be more cautious about this, with the Stormbenders and all?"

"Stormbenders…" Xulo and Taresc, coming from the hermit village of Dayue, knew very little of the Stormbenders. Of their little knowledge, they knew that it's a group made up of waterbenders and airbenders. The only interactions they have had with the Stormbenders are when they come around asking for taxes in the form of supplies. From what outdated news they've received, while their motives are foggy, Taresc and Xulo know the Stormbenders want the Avatar dead. "The Stormbenders are just a local gang using propaganda to get some extra money out of the towns they terrorize."

"Fair enough, then what do you suppose is our next step, O mighty Avatar Xulo?"

"The shrine."

"Rinley's Shrine? But that's so far away and what do want to do there?"

"If I'm going to be the Avatar, I'm going to need to know what to do to fix the world, to do that I need to talk to Avatar Rinley so he can inform me on what to do."

Taresc pondered to himself if the world was broken. All he's ever know is Dayue and while a closer source of water would be nice, he doesn't consider his 'world' to be broken by any means. So if the world isn't broken, maybe Xulo would just be a peacekeeping Avatar? The kind that does the household chores of the world; settling disputes between towns or getting cat-rats out of trees, but Taresc could never say that to Xulo, not with how happy he was, "So how are we getting to Rinley's shrine?"

"Wait right here," Xulo said as he ran down the shoreline.

Taresc turned towards to sea and kneeled down in the wet sand. He wiped his eyes of the dried tears and looked deeply into the sea. He brought his hand up and with it a little sphere of water emerged from the waters. "I guess you're the Avatar too, huh?" Taresc had realized that he was the Avatar earlier that day collecting water when he was practicing earthbending and instead of earth moving, the water did. It was horrifying to think he became the Avatar over his brother, but seeing that he's not the only one calmed him. Taresc was perfectly fine with being the brother of the Avatar, maybe he'd never tell Xulo.

As he stared into the orb he heard the sound of floppy footstep and little quacks, Tanton the alligator-duck with Minege Baikal and Xulo rode into sight and Taresc dropped the water. Tanton was a massive creature with the unfortunate task of being one of its own kind. Tanton had the head of an alligator but the bill and innocent beady eyes of a duckling, a body large enough to carry 6 people confidently, slender duck legs and a fierce alligator tail. Tanton's skin, from first sight, looked as if was scales but actually they're hardened brown and black feathers. Minege was sprawled out casually on Tanton's neck, "We ready to go?"

"Xulo, you said you didn't know where Minege was."

Xulo hopped off Tanton, "I said she was washing Tanton and she was. Now she's taking us to Rinley's shrine."

"I'm going back after I drop you too off, if that makes you feel any better." Minege said, "So, jump on, boys, we're on the first steps of the rest of our lives."

As they were getting on to Tanton, Taresc asked, "She knows?"

"He told me first, sorry honey." Minege said with a smirk on her mouth as Taresc and Xulo boarded Tanton. She gave Tanton a kick and the team was speeding of to Rinley's shrine.

"And by 'first steps of the rest of _our _lives…'" Taresc added.

Minege said, "Sweetie, you're not leaving me in Dayue if that's what you're asking," Minege patted Tanton's head, "Plus, how do you think you're getting around the world, by foot?"

"What about your mom, Minege?" Taresc asked, trees whizzing by.

"She's not a crippled old lady, Taresc," Xulo butted in, "Fey is going to do just fine without us."

"So you just want to be out of Dayue then, Minege?" Minege barely acknowledged it with simple grunt. Taresc could tell by the way Minege stayed silent that there was something else other than getting out of Dayue that had her coming out on this adventure, "Is your dad the reason that—"

Minege's head jolted and stared Taresc down while keeping watch on the path, "Hold your tongue, Tare, we are not discussing that right now," Taresc shut his mouth up real quick as Minege glanced a casual death glare to him, "Just because you're Xulo's brother, doesn't mean you're at liberty to speak about that," Minege's tone matched the same of her mother's when Xulo would have forgotten his chores, "Don't you think?"

There was a silence only filled with Xulo giving a disappointed gaze and Tanton little quacks, then Taresc's "Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p>Rinley's shrine was carved into the Kai Mountain Range, but all one could see of the shrine was a dark rectangle doorway which served as the entrance to the shrine and a large set of molding stairs. There weren't trees or grass in the plains that the shrine was located. It was barren excluding a few individual plants on or around the cracks in the soil. The area was likely excavated and treated as to make room for improvements to the outside of the shrine. But, for one reason or another that construction was stopped and the outside of Rinley's shrine looks like an anti-oasis in a desert of forest.<p>

When Minege dropped Xulo and Taresc off, they saw a large group of people occupying the wastelands before the shrine. Three of which were male airbenders, one with more formal looking clothing. The other two consisted of one waterbending female and one waterbending male. It was easy to tell because all waterbenders keep a special canteen of water on them at all times, in case they needed to fight. Xulo and Taresc exited the forested part and tried to walk past them but were stopped.

"Halt." said the guardsman.

"Why?" Xulo looked into the eyes of the airbender who seemed to be the leader.

"We're just here to pay our respects to Avatar Rinley," Taresc said to the leader, "We were wondering if we could just pop in quick?"

"I'm afraid we can't let you, Rinley's eyes recently started glowing and we think that means the Avatar has finally manifested his or herself."

"Is that a problem?" Xulo asked.

"As Stormbenders," Taresc's face instantly got tense upon hear those words from the guard, he didn't want to believe it seeing only waterbenders and airbenders but it was true, "we're on the hunt for the Avatar and Rinley's statue eyes lighting up is a clear indicator to us," Taresc looked at Xulo and as the Stormbender continued to speak his face got a sardonic sneer hiding his excitement, "it means the avatar has come to fruition and will likely seek out one of the Avatar shrines around the world, we've been sent here to be on the lookout for said Avatar in case he comes here to communicate with Rinley. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Before Taresc could assure the Stormbender that they know nothing about any Avatar business, Xulo acted on his urges. Xulo kicked a small patch of dirt with a little plant on it into his palm and with his newly found firebending, set it ablaze, "I might."

As soon as the fire lit, the Stormbender leader called out to his squadron, "He's the avatar, get him!" his squadron perked up and started attacking the twins. Xulo kicked his feet into the ground and flung the leader with a column of earth. The leader quickly recovered with his airbending and distanced himself from the Avatar and ran near the shrine.

"Get back Taresc, I'll take care of these guys," Xulo started his mad attack on the rest of the team. Xulo dashed forward with burning soil still in hand and whipped it at one of the airbenders. The startled stormbender was able to summon a quick air blast to disperse the flaming soil but as soon as he recovered, Xulo was there to sweep his legs and throw him a pillar of earth. While Xulo was fighting the airbender, a water bender attempted to use the water she had in her flask to strike Xulo with a spear of ice, but Taresc was there in time to shift the earth under her feet to trip the waterbender up.

With the female waterbending stormbender's attention, Taresc was forced to frantically fight her while Xulo handled his own opponents. She bended the disrupted water out of the soil and started whipping her water at Taresc. Taresc was able to bend up small stone to disrupt the streams and dodge but knew immediately he wouldn't be able to get on the offensive.

Meanwhile Xulo was fighting two Stormbenders; the previously stricken airbender and the other waterbender. Taresc, in midst of fighting his own opponent, saw that the other airbender was going to strike Xulo from behind. So Taresc left his battle and land skated quickly over to tackle said airbender to the ground. Now Taresc was thrown into a battle between two Stormbenders.

Taresc quickly got up and avoided the waterbender's water whip from striking him whule down and started skating all around the barren terrain. Taresc did a good job of attempting to dodge his opponent's strikes. However, the airbender was able to quickly throw him off his balance and toss him to the ground with a rush of air. The waterbender shot two ice spikes at him as he lay on the ground, but he was able to bend up a tiny wall in time to deflect the spikes. The airbender took this opportunity to jump and take out Taresc once and for all with a slice of air when suddenly a giant rock flew in and took out the airbender. Xulo had taken out his two opponents and immediately flew into action seeing his helpless brother. The boulder-stricken airbender had been knocked out and the waterbender was quickly bent into submission by Xulo's rocks. "What'd I say about trying to fight?" Xulo said picking Taresc off the ground.

"Just trying to help," Taresc gave a sheepish, joking shrug back.

"One left," Xulo pointed at the commander who had been watching from afar. Xulo and Taresc ran over and fought in complete synchrony, Xulo attacked with the ferocity of a rhino lion, not allowing the commander a moment to breathe. In the spare moments the commander was able to whisk up a blast of air for an attack, Taresc was there to move Xulo out of the way or bend a rock to disrupt the airbender's counterattack. At the end of the fight, the commander was slumped on the shrine's steps, broken from battle, "Who are you?" the commander managed to speak.

"My name is Avatar Xulo. Dayue born and raised, and I am here to expel you from these lands!" Xulo proclaimed. The commander was able to stand up and stumble away from the shrine along with his four compatriots. "Run! And stop terrorizing Dayue!"

Once they were no longer in sight, Taresc and Xulo stepped into the shrine. It was a small undecorated room carved out of stone, but from that room was an entrance to a long, unlit corridor which likely lead to the statue of Rinley. Taresc and Xulo stood and looked down the dark hallway as Taresc said, "So down that way should be Avatar Rinley's statue?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Xulo turned to Taresc and put his hands on his shoulders, "Alright, I'm going in, stay here."

"Why?"

"Once Rinley appears, I'm sure he's not going to want my twin brother in the corner watching."

"Well what if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing you can do about it, probably. Rinley will most likely close off the shrine to stop any intruders and at that point, no one is entering."

"Well," Taresc looked down at his feet, "Good luck, Xulo!" Taresc watched as his brother, palm alit, walked down the corridor to the shrine. As his brother faded into the darkness, certain thoughts started flowing into Taresc's mind. He began thinking about how he wanted to stop his brother from going so they could go home and talk all night about what they thought about the moon or the stars or anything other than the world. He thought about how he feared for his brother and his safety along this journey they were sure to begin. Most of all, he thought about the life he had now and he thought of it vanishing forever and his brother not even being his brother anymore.

Then a little thought sparked into his mind, _I'm the Avatar too_, to which he immediately extinguished. But that little flame kept coming up_, I'm the Avatar too, I'm the Avatar too, I'm the Avatar too_ and suddenly his foot took the first step.

No matter what his brain told him to do, he couldn't stop himself from walking down that hall and soon after sprinting. He ran full sprint into the darkness until he could see the glow coming from the shrine and a stone door closing. He ran as fast as he could just to make it through the door and he could tell Xulo that he's the Avatar too. Just as the stone doors were almost closed and the glow no longer visible, the doors stopped and Taresc was able to step into the shrine.

In that shrine room was Xulo on his knees and Avatar Rinley, flowing robes and all, saying, "Welcome."


	2. Chapter 2 - A Startled Send-Off

Brothers Avatar

The Legend of Two Avatars

Book 1 – Family

Chapter 2 – A Startled Send-Off

"Welcome." Avatar Rinley said. Taresc was still in awe of the past Avatar. Rinley was much taller than he had expected, but that might have just been the effect being a spirit has on your image. He wore a billowing robe with straps of blue and gray of different hues flowing from every seam. His face was as gentle as a sleeping man, but younger than what one would expect for an Avatar, seemingly early forties. His hair was brown and thrown into a long ponytail and skin dark as well.

Xulo looked around and his became immediately irritated upon sight of his intruder, "Taresc!" he yelled.

"Uh, Hi Xulo." Taresc spoke with little conviction.

"I told you to stay back there, it's Avatars only here!" Xulo face was redder than fire and he turned back to Rinley, "I am so sorry, Avatar Rinley, this is my twin brother; Taresc." Taresc wove awkwardly.

Rinley's expression was both knowing and questioning, being able to sense the presence of two Avatars but being told of only one, "I see no problem with your brother being here," Avatar Rinley's eyes shifted to Taresc, "Unless you'd like to leave, Taresc?"

Xulo gaze lashed back to Taresc. Even as Taresc mind was yelling _Yes, Please, Oh Yes, I would LOVE to, yes!_ but his mouth only said, "No, I'd like to stay, if that's alright with my brother,"

Xulo's eyes narrowed in annoyance, "No. It's perfectly fine."

"Very well, then" Avatar Rinley chose to stay quiet on Taresc's secret, "Xulo," Xulo twisted his head back forward, "Xulo, you have summoned me here to guide you, have you not?"

"Yes, I have. I was hoping you would give me a quest of some sort. Some way to fix the world."

"Before I can inform you of the worldly situation, there is something you must hear," Taresc moved back into the corner so he could make himself less of a presence, "What is needed of you is more difficult than you are prepared to take on, but the world does require it of you. It's imperative that you understand this as I assign you your task."

"What do you mean? Do you want me to be stronger?"

"I think-" Taresc spoke up, "If this is what you mean, Avatar Rinley—is that you shouldn't be brash upon hearing your assignment."

"Yes, Taresc, that's exactly what I mean." Avatar Rinley smiled at Taresc, "Can you promise me this, Xulo?"

"Sure, of course, I can do that."

"Good. Then we begin." All of a sudden the entire shrine room seemed to evaporate and the three were standing in golden clouds. Avatar Rinley then disappeared and only his voice was present, "The issue that surrounds your age is that of the Stormbenders…"

"The Stormbenders?" As Xulo spoke, they were transported back into the field in front of the shrine, surrounded by the five Stormbenders. "Honestly, I think we took care of them for the most part."

"I see you've experienced the Stormbenders for yourself," Suddenly the five stormbenders multiplied and they became ten, then 10, then 50, 100, 500. The Stormbenders were everywhere, they lay on the mountainside and they stand on the treetops. All around the brothers were an indivisible thicket of faceless Stormbenders, "But, you underestimate your foe," Rinley's voice boomed, "And the Stormbenders are not a foe to underestimate." From behind the mountains three giant figures, draped in shadows, appeared. "The Stormbenders are a worldly power, they have their hands spread around the world, wherever you go there's like a weight to the word 'Stormbender'"

Xulo turned around and saw the three giants looming overhead, "Who are those people!"

"Those three are the ones who lead the Stormbenders." From the shadowy details, Taresc was able to make out basic details. To right of the center figure was a male with the sides of head shaved and on the left was a girl with two buns on either side of her head. In the middle was an impressive looking woman with long flowing hair. "The Stormbenders vie for power and the only ones who keep them from achieving that are the White Lotus Executive Oligarchy." Taresc and Xulo knew that much about that White Lotus, having a guard come to town every month or so to check and see if order was present.

"So what am I supposed to do? It seems that the White Lotus has got a handle on things." Xulo was stilled unnerved by the surrounding Stormbenders.

"No, The White Lotus does little to eliminate the Stormbenders and rather throws them into shadows." Suddenly the Stormbenders disappeared and Xulo and Taresc were able to breathe. However upon closer inspection, it was clear the Stormbenders were simply watching from the forest, hiding in bushes and watching between the tree trunks. "Eliminating the Stormbenders is your job, for only you are the one who has to hand that can bring peace, not The White Lotus."

"I accept." Said Xulo and the wastelands and Stormbenders disappeared and the Brothers were back in the golden clouds.

"Very good," Rinley appeared again. "However, there is one last thing I must tell you, Avatar." Rinley's voice went deadly serious; all of him went severe. The wind that seemed to make the blue and gray straps on his robe flow stopped and Rinley's posture got rigid.

"Yes?"

"Avatar, everything you have and everything that makes you special will be attempted to be stolen from you when you are at your freest." The golden clouds got darker and gloomier as Rinley spoke, the clouds were gold no longer, they were swirling hazes of purple, red and black. "Avatar, realize that the one closest to you will try to kill you."

With the little light there was, Taresc could see a terrifying air Xulo was forming. His face was the tensest Taresc has ever seen it, looking like it was not made of flesh and blood but rather stone and mercury. Taresc had never seen the look he saw in Xulo's eyes before, they were angry but not even comparable to what he's seen before. They were scared, but never as scared as he's ever seen them. They were hurt, but never a touch as hurt as he'd ever seen them. The only description he could even think of was Survival Murderous. "They're going to betray you, Avatar." Taresc never considered himself scared of Xulo, not even in his most tumultuous of fits, but when he looked into Xulo's eyes he felt true fear. "Do you understand, Avatar, do you know what that means?"

Two words have never wrung as eerie as they did from Xulo's mouth, "I do."

"Good," Rinley's face lightened up and the group was back in the shrine room, "surely you two have a lot to do now. Xulo?" He still shaking from before, "Remember what I said."

"Don't be rash? Yeah. I-I got that."

"Until we meet again, brothers." The room swirled with air and with a flash, Rinley was gone and all that remained was dimly lit room with a statue of Rinley.

"Taresc," Xulo seemed hesitant with each word, "let's go."

* * *

><p>When Xulo and Taresc got out it was already dusk. Xulo's mind was racing as he and Taresc skated through the forest. He couldn't stop thinking about the betrayer he had in his life and the one that would try to kill him. His mind wandered into dark spaces, never before ventured, it was the first time he'd ever thought about killing anything or anyone. But, he'd do anything to protect what he loved, his family, his friends and most of all his new life as the Avatar.<p>

"Hey Xulo," Taresc was desperate to get him out of this headspace, "How about those Stormbenders, huh?"

"Looks like they're not the local gang we thought they were." Xulo smiled at Taresc. Taresc could tell it was genuine, but he saw a new face behind the smile. One with its guard up, eyes always looking around and teeth always borne just in case.

"What's next?"

"Next, we head back to Dayue, pick up Minege and we leave."

"Well this is pretty quick, to where?"

"Minege will know, she's taking her mom's map and we'll figure it out from there." Xulo said, "Now that I think about it, what were you going to say to Fey?"

"What?" said Taresc.

"When I went to pick you up from chores, she mistook me for you and said, 'You can tell me what you were going to say when he's done with you.' what were you going to tell her?"

"Umm…" Taresc was planning on telling Xulo his Avatar secret eventually, but he assuredly wasn't now. Not with the chance of being seen as a traitor, trying to steal his status of Avatar and eventually committing fratricide. Taresc wanted to believe that Xulo wouldn't kill over being _**the**_ Avatar. But if it was his life or Taresc's, Taresc would be spirit world bound in an instant, "It's a little personal, but I wanted her to tell me what happened to mom and dad."

"Yeah, I'd like to know that too," Xulo sped along, "Let's hurry so we can ask her."

Taresc didn't really want to know, Taresc was pretty sure that'd he never want to know, "I'm going the fastest I can, but sure, I can try!" Taresc was huffing trying to keep up as it was, "Xulo?"

"Taresc?"

"Why do care about being the Avatar so much?"

Xulo was silent for a second, "What do you mean?"

"I know it must be pretty cool to be the one and only Avatar, but is being the Avatar such a vital function in your life?"

"You don't know what it feels like to be the Avatar, Taresc, you feel this sense of higher purpose and the idea of someone else having it is… bad. It's a burden, but it's a beautiful burden, a burden I'd rather die than not carry. I just want to be important, Taresc, and do important things. I can't honestly imagine living the rest—"

Someone cried out. "What was that?" Taresc asked.

"It was a scream and it came from Dayue, come on!" Xulo sped up immeasurably towards the screams.

When the duo arrived they were met with a gruesome sight. Dayue was thrown into panic as the houses burned to the ground. Checking again they noticed the ones causing this violence were the Stormbenders. They worked together in demonic teamwork, the airbenders were spreading the fire from one building to the next and the waterbenders would freeze the doors, locking the citizens in their homes to burn. Taresc and Xulo wanted to jump in and save the village so gravely but they knew there were too many troops for them to take on. Amongst the chaos, Taresc was able to make a specific Stormbender, he was the leader of the squadron who blocking the shrine. "You!" Taresc pointed at the leader.

"There he is, there's the Avatar!" The leader pointed back at Taresc. All of the Stormbenders immediately stopped what they were doing and made a bee-line for Taresc.

"Xulo! Taresc!" Minege came rushing through the hordes of Stormbenders on Tanton and headed for the brothers, "Jump on, quick!" Taresc and Xulo were able to quickly leap onto Tanton's back as she ran by. The group was able to flee into the forest with Stormbenders chasing after.

Tanton dodged and swerved through the trees as fast as she could to escape the impending Stormbenders, "Minege, what happened?!" said Xulo.

"They came a little bit after I dropped you two off at the shrine, they came demanding to know where the Avatar was." The addled Minege spoke, "We told them we had no clue what they were talking about. They lashed out after that, they said that one of the houses had to be harboring the Avatar to they started burning the whole town down, they sailed the fire all around us, it was impossible for people to escape."

"Then how did you escape?" said Taresc.

"When I heard the screams, I immediately got on Tanton and I ran for my life. Mom—Mom didn't run, she stayed."

"Minege." Minege didn't respond, all she did was shook, Xulo asked again, "Minege, where's Fey?"

Minege could barely steer Tanton with the tears in her eyes, "She's dead." Minege whimpered. There was such a heavy gravity that came down when she said those words. Xulo shook violently with anger; tears ripped their way down his cheeks. Taresc sat there and put his hand on Xulo's shoulder. In that darkness, all they could hear were the distant shouts of anger or agony, the little sobs of Minege and Tanton's little quacks every time she stepped.

It was then a tiny glow began to beam out of the shadows, it was Xulo's eyes. First his pupils that flashed, then it was his pupils and his tears. Eventually his whole entire twisted eyes began to shoot out light, "Xulo, what's happening?" Taresc turned Xulo towards him.

Xulo then jumped off Tanton and upon landing a tremor appeared at his feet. With every step he took a crater appeared in its wake. "Minege, Stop!" Minege halted Tanton in her tracks. "Xulo, where are you going?" Taresc called out.

Xulo didn't respond however and continued to drudge forward. With a cyclone of wind, Xulo propelled himself upwards above the treetops and into the sky. Xulo brought in his arms and thrusted them up above his head as if he lifting the world in his palm. Giant pillars of earth sprouted from the ground at lighting-speed in a fan formation in front of Xulo. Higher than five stories tall, Taresc had never seen such powerful earthbending from Xulo. "Is he bringing up this barricade to block the Stormbenders?" Minege asked. It was just then Xulo brought up another set of spikes from the ground but at even faster rate, continuing in the fan formation.

"No…" Xulo bended another set, "He's not trying to deter them, he's trying to kill them!" Taresc looked back to see Minege with her puffy eyes. Taresc waited for her to say 'Stop him' or 'You should go get him' but it was obvious that at the moment she wasn't going to be able to manage the strength to ask for someone to not kill the Stormbenders. "I'll go get him."

"Xulo!" Taresc tried calling up to him but it was obvious he would have to do more to get his attention. Taresc needed to find some way to get up to Xulo's level and he needed to find it quick. Taresc tried to bend the ground underneath him as a way to launch him up to Xulo, but could only reach half-height. Minege watched from afar, seeing Taresc fail countless times, secretly hoping he'd maybe end up failing. She'd never actively want to contribute to his failure, but in her melancholic torpor she only wanted revenge. Taresc lingered on the top of the tree after his 5th attempt and was ready to give up; until he saw Xulo prepping to bend another row of earth spikes. Before he lifted his arms to the sky, he brought them back, way back; from seeing that, Taresc had gotten inspiration for a last-ditch effort.

Taresc stood himself on a branch with the pounding sound of Xulo's impending massacre on the horizon. Taresc jumped from the branch and slammed an indent into the earth. From the momentum of the landing, he was able to bend a boulder of earth from the ground and fly him up to Xulo. He flew through the air and jumped off the boulder and grappled onto Xulo's arm.

Xulo's head snapped to see what disturbed his rampage on the Stormbenders. "Please, Xulo, I need you to stop!" From this height, Taresc could see the fallen Stormbenders, nearly-fainted from fleeing Xulo's wrath. "Xulo, I don't know what's happening to you right now, but I can't let you be a killer, not of all those people."

Xulo's glowing eyes widened, "They will pay!" Xulo shook loose Taresc and quickly prepared himself for the last devastating attack.

"XULO!" Taresc feel to earth, as soon as Xulo heard the terror in Taresc's voice his eyes returned to normal and saw his brother falling to his death.

"Taresc!" Xulo's vortex of air had disappeared and he began to fall as well. Xulo dived quickly for Taresc and caught him in his arms. With every bit of his fleeting strength, Xulo was able to bend up a little slide of earth. Xulo was able to ride his way down the slide until he and his brother ended up tumbling to the ground.

"Are you two alright?" Minege rode close to them.

"I-I'm al-alri-alright." Xulo attempted to get up on his own, but fell to his knees.

Taresc helped him up and onto Tanton, "I don't know what just happened." Xulo draped himself onto Tanton's back, he was entirely devoid of energy. "What happened, Xulo, you weren't you up there."

The team started to move, "All I remember is that I was so angry at the Stormbenders and then I felt this rush of energy go through me, it was... incredible. It was like someone or multiple people, far more powerful than I, took control. When I came to, I was in the air and Taresc was falling." Xulo closed his eyes gently as he lazed on Tanton's back. "What did I do?"

"Go to sleep, Xulo," Taresc cooed, "we'll tell you in the morning, I'm happy you're back."

As Tanton continued to run through the forest, Taresc looked forward to see the new mountain range his brother had created. Taresc couldn't believe that the spires in the distance were all his doing, and worse of all he going to use them to kill. "Hey, guys," Xulo muttered from his slumber, "looks like we're starting our journey." Xulo said with placid frown apparent, it was true. Their journey had begun.

"We're going to make 'em pay, Taresc," Xulo's heavy lips managed, "we're going to make them pay."


	3. Chapter 3 - Minege's Lament

Brothers Avatar

The Legend of Two Avatars

Book 1 – Family

Chapter 3 – Minege's Lament

Noises seemed to echo from around Xulo's body. His body felt tender as if it came back from the brink of death. As Xulo began to let his eyes open for light to pour in, he could vaguely make out the voices coming from around him.

"No…We won't…..Until… wake up." was what Xulo could make out from the female's voice.

"But, don't you… talk about what… last night?" another male voice spoke, "I understand that…important that we wait?" As Xulo began to rise little by little he could make the distorted voices out to be Taresc and Minege. Xulo looked around the little room, there were two basic wooden chairs and a cot that he laid on. Outside the window he saw a midday forest and out the other window he could see a bustling marketplace. Outside the doorway he saw the backside of Taresc and Minege standing firmly against him.

"Yes, hun, Xulo is the Avatar and I refuse to talk about anything until he is awake!"

"I'm not saying that we should leave him out, but after what happened… We need to talk about this and I can't wait any longer, he's been sleeping for nearly a whole day!"

"Well, we're just gonna have to wait a while longer, aren't we?!" Minege shouted. Xulo sat up on his cot and say the two bickering outside his door. "Xulo!" Minege spotted the upright Xulo.

"Xulo's awake?" Taresc peeked in and ran immediately to his brother, "Xulo!"

"Hey guys," Xulo spoke half-awake, "where am I?"

"We're at the town over, we rented this room for the night." said Taresc, "More importantly, how are you?" Taresc went over to sit on a neighboring chair while Minege stood beside the other chair.

"What do you mean? I feel great; apparently being asleep for a whole day does that. Shouldn't we be moving? Those Stormbenders…"

"We don't really have to worry about them after what happened, do you not remember anything?" Minege asked.

"…The Stormbenders… I remember they were burning our town to the ground and you picked us up, Minege. We were running away and…" Xulo stilled his speech, "Minege, I am so sorry."

"About mom? I'm working with it, right now," Minege looked like she was fighting back tears, "It's hard, you know? Sweety, this isn't about me, do you remember anything after I told you about Fey?"

Xulo scratched his head, "I remember being so angry and then I think I blacked out from that, right?"

Minege and Taresc looked at each other, "Xulo, you didn't black out." Minege said.

"I didn't?"

"Xulo, after Minege told us her mom had died you were shaking from anger, but you didn't pass out. Eventually your eyes started beaming with light and you jumped off Tanton. You started flying into the sky with airbending." Taresc explained.

"Airbending? I can't airbend yet." Xulo remarked.

"That's not the only impossible thing you did. While you were in the air you bended these giant rocks, the size of mountains up from the ground." Xulo looked at his hands with disbelief, "You were trying to kill the Stormbenders that wrecked Dayue." Xulo looked in Taresc's disbelieving eyes and then into Minege's remorseful eyes.

"Okay," unsure of how to respond, Xulo decided to go with what was most neutral, "what happened after that."

"Well—Uh." Taresc was taken aback from Xulo lack of regret, "I was able to get up to your height and I tried to stop you from killing them. When I did, you shook me off and I almost plummeted to me death."

"I remember now, not airbending, but I remember the fall. I saved you from that death and we rode away." Xulo took a second to breathe, "I see why I was so tired now." Minege raised an eyebrow in response, "So what now?"

"Can I see the map, Minege?" Minege handed it over from her satchel.

"You were able to get the map from Fey?" Xulo asked.

"I nabbed it when I heard commotion happening."

Taresc unfurled the map, "Right now we are here," he pointed to a little spot north of Dayue, he began moving his finger east, "If we keep moving this way, through the mountains up north we should be at the White Lotus Capital. There we can team up with the White Lotus and take down the Stormbenders."

"That easy?" Xulo asked.

"From what I heard," Minege pitched in, "the northern mountains are extremely dangerous, we should probably avoid them."

"Not to come off rude or anything, but what have you heard that we haven't?" Taresc asked.

Xulo gave his disappointed look to Taresc as Minege glared, "Well, darling, my father was a courier, you know, one of those people that traveled the world delivering mail? So, I think I might've heard a little more than you have and from what I've heard of him talking about the northern mountains, a lot of couriers have gone missing. Oh, and by the by, honey, that did come off as rude."

Xulo hit Taresc's shoulder, "Sorry ma'am." Taresc bowed his head.

"None taken, darling, I'm thick-skinned after all."

"What do you recommend we do instead?"

Minege grabbed the map, "Well, we scrap all of your ideas and instead we go a little lower and head through the desert. There are bandits there, but with Xulo they shouldn't be too big of a deal. From there, we can easily—" Minege stopped what she was saying and she began gasping for her breath.

Xulo jumped from his bed, "Minege are you alright?"

"I guess I'm less thick-skinned than I thought," Minege tried to crack a smile, all of a sudden Tanton busted herself into the tiny room and nuzzled Minege, "Aw, girl, it's alright I'm fine."

"Yeah, Tanton she's fine." Taresc said smothered in the corner behind Tanton's large tail feathers, "Do you think maybe Tanton could make a little room, not much space in here to begin with."

Minege gestured for Tanton to move in order to give Taresc space, "Minege, do need to talk about Fey." Xulo stood up and sat her down in the chair.

"Honey, Xulo, I'd be perfectly fine with never speaking a lick about my mom but I can't tell you in good faith to go to the White Lotus Capital," Minege kept stroking Tanton's head with her oblivious expression, "honestly, Xulo, I just can't."

"Why not?" Xulo asked.

"Because I want them dead, Xulo, I want every last one of those Stormbenders dead and I want it now!" Minege's round face was made jagged with anger. "I don't want to go the Capital when the bastards that killed my mom just dance around the ashes of Dayue! I don't care what Rinley told you both, what you need to do is-"

"Minege!" She was now clutching Tanton's head feathers.

She released her grip, "I'm sorry Tanton," Tanton quacked her usual insensible quack, "I'm sorry to you two, as well. I'm just a little fragile currently."

Taresc was completely overwhelmed by Minege's outrage, Xulo didn't faze, "No, you're right." Minege lifted her face and seemed to perk up a little bit, "If we're going to do anything, we need to get vengeance on the ones that did this to us." Taresc could only stare in disbelief as the words came out of Xulo's mouth.

"I've never been so grateful to hear you say that." She hugged the kneeling Xulo. "I'm going to get you some dinner." She walked out with Tanton and as soon as she left, Xulo went back to his cot.

Taresc immediately stood up as Minege left, "Xulo, why did you just say that? You can't mean that you intend to allow her to exact revenge on those Stormbenders? Do you even know if you can take them?"

"When people are hurting like she's hurting, they need something to make them whole. Also, you can't tell me they don't deserve everything that's going to be coming to them. After killing Fey and all the people of Dayue, are you telling me that they deserve to live?"

Taresc couldn't and wouldn't answer that question. But as Xulo spoke, Taresc started to see a milder version of what he saw when Xulo yelled, 'They will pay!' Taresc said, "Do you realize that this is your fault?"

Xulo's distant expression of doom shifted to hellish anger, "Excuse me?"

Taresc wouldn't fear his wrath, "When we took out those Stormbenders outside Rinley's shrine, you proudly told them that you were 'Dayue, born and raised,' and later they appear again at Dayue." Taresc's face bucked up, "You lead them right to Dayue because you were too prideful to keep your mouth shut."

"You're right…" Xulo was somber. "I'm the reason Fey's dead."

Taresc didn't want to waver with pity, "I'm sorry, but it's true."

"I can't tell Minege, however, I'm not the one she needs to be angry with right now."

Taresc exhaled painfully, "You can't misdirect her hate because you don't want to take responsibility for your actions." Xulo looked he got kicked in the stomach, "If you must take out the Stormbenders and I'm not saying I approve… do you think you can take them?"

"If I can do the eye-glowing thing again, it wouldn't be a problem at all."

"But can you?"

"I don't know."

"Well if you can't access the eye-glowy state, they are going to destroy you."

"Noted."

"I'm just saying a nonbender on an alligator-duck and a newly found Avatar can only put so much of a dent into a horde of experienced Stormbenders."

Xulo looked out the window to the dusk turning to night. "Then I guess I'll have to tell her that we need to reconsider."

"That's a good thing."

"I'm waiting for tomorrow morning, though." Taresc glared, "I want to give her a chance to sleep off the anger."

Taresc grunted, "Fair enough, as long as you do it. Minege is probably going to be back soon, we should probably pretend like we aren't bickering over who's responsible for killing her mom."

"Well I'm sure we're not going to get there by saying shit like that."

* * *

><p>"Wake up, Xulo." Minege stood over Xulo's cot.<p>

"Minege, what are you doing?" Xulo got up and looked out the window into the darkened sky, "It's not even dawn yet…" Minege hushed him, "and why are we being quiet?"

"For this one." Minege pointed at Taresc passed out on the chair. Minege started dragging Xulo out of the cot into the sleeping center of town where people were once bartering their fruits and furniture.

"What are we doing that Taresc can't be involved in?"

Minege started untying Tanton, "We're going to get the Stormbenders, Xulo." Minege smiled like the day she found Tanton's egg, "I know we said we were going to do it in the morning, but Taresc was only going to get in our way, so why not just get it done now. Plus, this way we can get a surprise attack in on them."

Xulo hid his helplessness behind a smile as he started to pace, "We're going right now?"

"Sweety, I know that you'd want Taresc to be there, but he doesn't feel the same way about this like we do."

"How do we feel?"

"He'd rather call the guards and hope they come within the week to maybe bring justice to Fey, but we want revenge, Xulo, we want them to feel like they made us feel," Minege turned around from the spoke in the ground and stared holes into Xulo's eyes, "that's how we feel, right?"

Xulo had two choices, either he tells a girl whose mother had been cut down in front of her that she had no right to grieve through vengeance or he tells her that her anger isn't just some passing tempest and he would be more than willing to butcher those that orphaned her, "Of course." He wouldn't try to talk sense into someone who's entirely insensible at the moment. "Are we going or…?"

Minege finished untying Tanton and turned around to meet his question with a teary smile, "Yes, honey, let's get back to Dayue."

* * *

><p>Xulo spent his time on Tanton just looking between the trees, trying to make out any kind of figure in the dark. In his mind he was trying to make heads or tails of the situation. Up above the trees he saw the giant rocks that he once bended, "Are you ready, Xulo?"<p>

"Very."

"I know I am. All you need to do is summon that Avatar-glow-thing and they'll be all wiped out, that's all you need…" Minege's voice began to dull in Xulo's head and his own thoughts rose. Taresc's advice, telling Xulo that he'd die if he tried to take on the Stormbenders reigned. "Are you listening to me, Xulo?"

"Yeah, I go master bender on the Stormbenders and Fey can rest easy, I know." What Xulo was afraid of wasn't losing to the Stormbenders, under enough adrenaline; a whole heard of a 100 Llama-elks couldn't leave a scratch on Xulo.

"This crime isn't going to go unpunished and that brings me so much relief, Xulo, more than I can possibly say." The idea of Minege killing, enjoying it too, thinking that she's eliminating Fey's killer was what worried Xulo most.

He could see the slivers of light and sound of the Stormbender camp peeking through the trees, meaning they'd soon break the threshold of no return, "Stop! Stop Tanton right now!"

"What's wrong?"

"I said stop her!" Xulo pulled on Tanton's scaly feathers and Tanton quacked throatily.

Minege stopped Tanton in her tracks and Xulo jumped off, "What is wrong with you?"

What would keep Xulo out of Dayue was one simple truth, "I'm the reason Dayue was ravaged and your mother was killed."

Stormbenders were cheering and thriving in the ruins of Dayue, they were dancing at the reemergence of the Avatar and Avatar hunting season being open. A waterbender told another about how they were nearly crushed by the avatar and an airbender told a story about how they almost let a villager nearly escape but snagged them just in time. Just a few miles away were Xulo and Minege locked in place, so addled and shaken, each could barely move their rigid limbs. "What?" said Minege.

"I'm responsible for the invasion." Xulo said

"How, Xulo, how!" Minege barked.

Xulo seeped up his courage, "When Taresc and I went to Rinley's shrine, there was a group of Stormbenders that were blocking the entrance, we beat them and afterwards I told them I was from Dayue."

"You lead them here?"

"I didn't think they'd come here, I thought that they were just going to run away and never return, I didn't know that there were more of them."

Minege looked as if she was about to run Xulo over, "Why? Why did you have to tell those thugs where we lived? Did you want this; did you need some sort of scapegoat?"

"I was prideful, I wanted to boast the fact that someone from Dayue could be the Avatar and—"

"Was it worth it?"

"Huh?"

"Was boosting your fucking ego worth my mom dying?" Minege's tongue snapped harder than a whip.

Xulo was ready to get on his hands and knees, "Minege, I'm so sorry."

"Well are you going to make it up to me and kill those bastards?"

"Minege, I can't let you go through with this, not in good conscience." The guilt that he wouldn't be able to do this for her, hurt him most.

"You can't let me have this, Xulo? Do you know what's best for me right now?"

"What can I say? I'm sorry."

"So what stops me, Xulo?" Minege asked.

"Minege, I don't—"

"What stops me from just going my own damn way with Tanton and just leaving you and Taresc to rot?" Minege was clenching her jaw, "Or better yet, why don't I tell all those Stormbenders that the Avatar is in the woods, because that seems like a great option right now."

Xulo said, "Minege, I promise you, I'll make it up to you, I swear that I won't rest until I make this up to you." Minege was unable to make eye contact, "Do you hear me, Minege? Please, Taresc and I need you."

Eyes shifted back and forth, they narrowed and they cried some more, finally Minege opened hers, "Let's go, Tanton." She turned her head and she disappeared into the woods. Xulo sat by the trunk of a tree and looked into the stars and cried to the obscure sounds of Stormbender merriment.

* * *

><p>Xulo decided that he would walk himself home after the fight with Minege, he couldn't get himself to landskate back to the village. At the edge of the village he could see Taresc viscously crossing his arms. When Xulo got into view, he ran to his brother, "Xulo, where exactly were you? I wake up and nobody is here."<p>

"Minege took me in the middle of the night to take out the Stormbenders." Xulo said ready to collapse from exhaustion.

"Well did you?"

"No," Xulo said, "I told her I wouldn't do it, I also told her about the shrine battle." Xulo shook his head in distress, "It looks like we're doing this on our own, Taresc."

Taresc scrunched his face in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Minege left, I got her mom killed and now she's going to find her own path."

"Is she?" Taresc said, "She's packing up our stuff for our departure, I don't think she's leaving anybody."

"She… not leaving us?"

"I don't think so, I tried to ask about what happened but she pulled the same old, 'I don't have to tell you anything' shtick. You can go see for yourself." Xulo excused himself from the conversation and ran back to the little abode they rented. In the room was Minege, clear as day, packing up Xulo's clothing.

"Hello there, doll." Minege continued to pack.

"Minege, are you okay?" Xulo asked.

Minege turned around and smiled, "Never better."

"I didn't think that you were going to stay with us after last night." Xulo said, abashed.

"I didn't either, to be honest, but I realized that with or without me you were going to do your 'Avatar quest.' I decided that I might as well stick along until I can find a new place to live."

"Minege, I don't know how many times I can say sorry." Xulo was pained to say.

"Well, darling, you'll be happy to hear that I'm in the beginning stages of forgiving you."

"Already?"

"As angry as I am and was with you, you didn't kill my mom. You may have led the horses to the water, you didn't make them drink; they did that. So, maybe one day we'll be fine, until then I'll act cordial. Can't let Taresc think mommy and daddy are fighting, can we?" Minege slugged Xulo on the shoulder venomously.

"Thank you, Minege, I never intended for any of this to happen."

Minege heaped the final pack over her shoulder and headed out the door, "But one little thing still remains."

"What's that?"

"Your promise to make it up to me still stands," Minege twisted so Xulo could only see the side of her face, "One day, I will ask you to do something for me, whether in means killing a whole camp of Stormbenders that killed my mother or not, do you understand?"

Xulo only fears two things, one of which was talking to an angry Baikal woman, "Yes ma'am."

"Sweety, I couldn't thank you more." Minege continued to walk out and from a distance away she shouted, "You might want to hurry, we're leaving in a minute, whether you're the Avatar or not."


	4. Chapter 4 - The Fire Sages

Brothers Avatar

The Legend of Two Avatars

Book 1 – Family

Chapter 4 – The Fire Sages

"Are we almost there, Minege?" Taresc groaned.

"Oh Sweety, I'm so sorry if my alligator-duck isn't going fast enough for your pleasure, it's almost like she isn't meant to swim across giant bodies of water!" Minege snapped back. Tanton was huffing and paddling away in the salty water.

"Is Tanton going to be able to make it?" Xulo asked.

Minege scoffed, "Of course, Tanton will make it, but it's so stressful for her, isn't that right, Tanton?" Tanton was too out of breath to let out a celebratory quack. From all around Tanton was a vast expansion of blue, from the sparkling deep tones of the sea to the airy tones that emanated from the sky.

"Why are we going this way again? I thought we were going to go through the Si Wong Desert, why are we going west to some island?" Taresc said looking upwards towards the sky.

"Well the path we need to take is just flooded with Stormbender camps, going through would be a death sentence, so we're going to take a detour and head to Crescent Island and then swim back and find an area that can take us to Si Wong." Minege said.

"Okay." Time seemed to move faster as Taresc rocked with the waves of the ocean with the sun pouring down on him. As he drifted in and out of consciousness he would hear little snippets of conversations between Xulo and Minege, mainly business but occasionally they'd talk a little about Dayue. In what seemed like only minutes to Taresc, he felt Tanton collapsing on solid ground.

"We're here, Taresc." Said Xulo, "Is Tanton alright?"

Minege was stroking Tanton's exhausted face, "She's never swam for that long, she's going to need to rest, but she'll be fine."

Taresc got off of Tanton and took in the island. It was immediately clear how Crescent Island got its name, seeing that that the island itself was a giant crescent and they were on the tip of it. From each end of the island the ground rose up to a large volcano at the center. By said volcano was an impressive looking temple. As the group moved down the shore they were able to marvel even more at the temple. It was a gorgeous 7-tiered pagoda, a fiery-themed iron tower that loomed over the team. Its presence was intimidating; it protruded at every level, like it was a threat to impale nearby clouds. The team wasn't even sure if they were allowed to enter as it seemed like it were greatly hallowed, a sacred ground for only the highest officials. With the tired alligator-duck, they didn't have any way off of the island, so they decided to enter anyways.

When they entered through the fire-insignia door, they saw a bored-looking girl sitting at the beginning of a fire-lit corridor, "Oh hey, people are here!" She perked up. "Who are you people?"

"My name is Minege and this is Xulo." Xulo waved.

"And this is… Xulo 2, I presume?" The girl said, pointing at Taresc.

"Oh, I'm Taresc. Xulo and I are twins."

"Well I figured that," the girl smiled, "It's not exactly hard to tell the family resemblance, I still like Xulo 2 better. So we're Minege, Xulo and Taresc?" The group nodded, "Great, my name is Lozulia! So, what are we here for? We don't exactly get many visitors like you here."

"Like us?" Minege folded her arms.

The girl walked forward, "You don't exactly look like you're an elderly fire sage or really anyone from the fire nation for that matter." Lozulia was correct, her and Minege looked almost nothing alike. Minege had a very mature quality to her, she always exuded this presence of being older than she looked even though her age was actually appropriate, Lozulia looked like she was straight from the womb, besides actually being the same age as Minege. Like most Dayue residents, Minege was darker-skinned and had brown hair; Lozulia was pale as a birch tree's truck and hair as black as its soot. Minege was a sturdy, forest-born woman like her mother raised her to be while Lozulia was tall and with a steady build but not as sturdy as Minege.

Overall there was just a different air that flowed out of each one. Minege was compacted, with her hair braided tightly up top, she was built to last. Like her earthy eyes, she was grounded and never flew. Lozulia however seemed to crackle a little with every motion, she popped with each hand gesture, she danced with every step. There was a brimming optimist that she tried to control but can't help let seep into her everything she did. It was those burning amber eyes and flowing straight hair that really embodied her, he was a hot wind that flows through the window.

Minege looked herself up and down and then Lozulia, "I guess that's fair." She cracked a smirk.

Xulo began speaking, "So this is the Fire Nation?"

"Technically…" Lozulia narrowed her eyes, "If we're running on technicalities, then we're just a group of islands who happen to be keen on firebending under the White Lotus. By that logic the Air Nomads are just a bunch of wierdos living on the mountain. Since technicalities are stupid, yes, you are in the Fire Nation. Now, why are you here again?"

Xulo spoke, "We're here because I'm the Avatar and—"

"You're the Avatar! First we have foreigners coming in through here, then you are twins and now I have the Avatar in front of me, I'm waiting for one of you to tell me you're my long lost brother while we're at it." Lozulia was thrown, "Alright that's it, come with me, we need to talk." Lozulia led the team through various dark red corridors and up two flights of stairs, they followed until they got to a door, Lozulia opened it and they were introduced to a beautiful patio overlooking the ocean, "Welcome to my living quarters."

"Well this is a different look." Xulo said. The room was so casual in comparison to the rest of the temple. The floor boards were sandalwood and there were little cute decorations hanging from the ceiling. There was a bed in the corner, as it seemed to be the best location: right next to the railing, so Lozulia could get a fresh breeze of air whenever she woke. .

"I know right? This is the only place where it looks like we don't legitimately torture people, my dad tried to recommend to the Fire Sage Council that we paint this room red like the rest of the temple, I nearly burned the whole temple down." Lozulia said watching the group explore the room. "Enough exploring, come over and sit down." All of them convened around the small table. They talk for a while about their adventures so far, about how Xulo is the Avatar, how Dayue got destroyed and how they ended up on Crescent Island.

"I thought I was going to catch you on the latter half of your journey, but it looks like you guys are spring chicken-boars. I guess that was a good story regardless. What's your plan for taking out those Stormbenders then?"

"We're going to go through the Si Wong Desert to get to the White Lotus Capital. From there we'll talk to the kings and with their help we'll take out the Stormbenders." Minege explained.

Lozulia face was contorted into a stare of complete disbelief, "That's your plan?"

Taresc asked, "Why? Is that a really bad plan?" Minege was quick to shoot a dirty look.

"Well, firstly the Si Wong Desert is full of pillagers and without proper transportation; you'd probably die before getting to the first oasis."

"Actually with Xulo's eye-glow thing, there's not a single person that could possibly take him down and also I have an alligator-duck that can run us through the desert in no time." Minege stared deep into Lozulia's eyes ready for a second offense.

"That 'eye-glow thing' is called the Avatar State and from your terminology I can assume you know absolutely nothing about said Avatar State. When Xulo goes into the Avatar State he's channeling past Avatars' power and wisdom and he was able to summon it because of his strong emotions at the time. Now, Xulo do you think that every time a dozen poachers jump out of the sand you can summon the emotions of having nearly everyone you'd ever known being slaughtered in front of you?"

Xulo looked highly uncomfortable, "No, I don't think I could."

"Then comes the dangers of the Avatar State, let's say Xulo here can actually access the Avatar State and in Xulo's blinding rage he—I don't know—decides to turn all of the sand into a giant vortex and your group plus the poachers get sucked to the bottom and suffocate on sand, I sure hope you like the possibility of that happening, because that sure can happen, It has in the past."

"I don't like that idea." Taresc said looking at Xulo, "I don't like that at all."

"Before you say it Minege, because I know you will, let's theoretically say that Xulo doesn't even need the Avatar State because let's say that poachers don't even care or maybe Xulo is decent at bending or something or other. Next is this alligator-duck of yours. From what I can tell about the animals in that hybrid of yours, I can probably tell you that your little pal will dehydrate especially fast without water. So no go on that part."

Minege's face drooped further and further as each part of her plan fell apart, "Is that all?"

Lozulia seemed to get some sort of demented pleasure from proving herself right, "No, Minege, no it is not. Next let's talk about your date with the 'kings,' by the way that should be a singular 'king' not 'kings.'"

"It's the White Lotus Executive Oligarchy, right? Oligarchy as in multiple rulers, right?" Taresc asked.

"Oligarchy is a very loose term, I prefer Oli-I'm-just-going-to-rule-and-you-guys-will-agree-with-all-the-stuff-I-say-garchy. Seeing as you seem to know nothing about The White Lotus as well, I can give a rundown on that as well. The king you're referring to is White Lotus King Hintrichi; he's crazy like antelope-hyenas on Hegfig berries. Asking him to help you, Avatar or not, is asking for him to execute you."

"Wait now," Xulo leaned on the table, "asking the king for a favor could get me killed? What sense does that make?"

"Antelope-hyenas on Hegfig berries, Xulo. If you want his help so badly, you'll need to prove yourself in some way. Oh yeah, quick question, why would you ever want The White Lotus's help?"

Xulo was confused by her question, "Because they're the mightiest military power?"

"Maybe in the palace, but outside of it, they're a shabby lot. Let me ask you, how many times did the White Lotus visit Dayue?"

Xulo looked around at the others, "Two, Maybe three times?"

"Well look at that! You were visited even less than we did. While the White Lotus says they're here to unite all of us, really their main function is keeping Hintrichi safe. If you ask him for troops, he'll give you the basics, the troops right out of training." Lozulia pushed back her long hair.

"Well you're making this Avatar thing to seem pretty hopeless, is there anything I can do?" said Xulo

"Am I going to have to explain what being the Avatar means? Was this Dayue that out of touch?" Xulo apathetical shrugged, "Being the Avatar means that you have the ability to change the world, you're don't need the White Lotus, you have the power within you to take on the Stormbenders yourself; maybe not right now, but eventually." Lozulia took Taresc's hands and looked deep into his eyes, "Do you get that?"

Taresc released her hands, "I'm Taresc."

"What! Did you two switch around on me?" They both looked at each other and shook their heads, "Fine, whatever! What I'm really trying to say is your plan sucks."

Just as Minege was about to retort, a man in large red robes walked in, "Lozulia, have you cleaned—Well hello, who are these people, Lozulia?"

"What's up? They're some visitors." She turned to her guests, "This is my dad, by the way, Izum."

"Hello, Lozulia's friends, are you going to be leaving soon? It's getting quite late." Izum seemed incredibly uncomfortable.

Lozulia stood up, "Dad! Really?!"

"Well, Lozulia, this isn't an inn? We're practically the capital of the Fire Nation!"

Lozulia said under her breathe, "Well we don't practically exist according to the White Lotus… you know, figureheads and all…"

"What did you say?"

"I said we need to treat these guests specially, this one over here, Taresc?" Xulo shook his head, "Oh yeah, I mean Xulo! Xulo is the Avatar, I'll have you know!"

Izum planted his face into his palm, "That's even worse! The Stormbenders warned us that they were hunting the Avatar! They said if someone of the Fire Nation turned out to be the Avatar, they would destroy them and anyone else in the way!"

Taresc raised his hand, "Wait, I have a question."

"Yes, Xulo?" Lozulia said.

"It's Taresc."

"Damnit!"

"Okay, so the next Avatar had to have been an earthbender, right? Because Rinley was a waterbender. Why would they come to the Fire Nation to look?"

Izum answered, "Well some Avatars have died as children and then the cycle would simply move on, sad really. In fact, the first Avatar to do that was a firebender, they were…" He gestured to Lozulia.

"UGH! Avatar… Kelunj?"

"The Avatar to claim the Fire Islands, nope."

"Avatar Quio?"

"Avatar that established the Fire Sages, keep going."

"Avatar Iyundinonn?"

"First Avatar to hold a position of governance, and he wasn't even a firebender! How do you not know all this?"

"I'm sorry I'm not well-versed in the knowledge of Avatars."

"That was literally your whole entire education!"

"I hate to interrupt this educational family moment," Xulo intervened, "but if it's too much trouble we can always swim to another shore."

Izum was about to speak when Lozulia jumped in, "No! My dad is just being overly dramatic, we get visited by the Stormbenders about half as much as the White Lotus." Lozulia sat on the table, "You guys will be perfectly fine to stay here and if my dad here," She gave him a friendly elbow to gut, "tries to kick you out in the middle of the night, I'll just tell all the other sages that he can't sleep if the room's not completely illuminated."

"It's for the heat!"

"You're a firebender, bucko, that's even worse." Lozulia gestured for the group to stand, "If you'll follow me this way, I'll be showing you to your quarters." The team left the room thanking Lozulia's father and as she left she blew him a kiss.

* * *

><p>The team settled down in the makeshift room, on their improvised beds they looked around at the supposed-torture room (to their credit, every room a torture feel to it). Taresc was wide awake by the fear of some sage coming in and roasting them alive. "Xulo, are you awake?"<p>

"Yes, I am. Are you awake, Minege?"

"I am now." She replied.

"Lozulia seems to know a lot." Taresc threw out.

Xulo said, "I know, I'm impressed."

"If we lived at a fancy Sage Tower like this, I'm sure we would know just as much." Minege replied. "She doesn't know that much relative to what we know."

"That doesn't exactly make us any smarter." Taresc replied.

"Where are you going with this, Taresc?" Xulo asked.

Taresc waited a sec, "Um, I think that maybe we should ask her to come with us."

"Because she knows a little bit about Avatar history? No way, I forbid it." Minege stated.

"Well, you're not the Avatar." Xulo said and the tension flared in the darkness, "I just wonder if she'd be willing to come with us."

"Probably not," Minege said, although she was ashamed to realize that she related to Lozulia more than she would have thought. The moment she walked in, she knew that itch when someone new arrived, a little taste of the outside world. Running to the outsider for a shred of chatter, a sliver of the outside world, it was like she was a child again. "This place is just too nice and too beautiful, there will be other smart people on our way, she won't go for it."

"That's disappointing." Taresc slumped further into his bed.

* * *

><p>In the entrance, Lozulia sat at her station, organizing some old scriptures that she couldn't care less about. She stared lazily into the candlelit words when the door creaked. Her face brightened until the obscure figures walked into the light of the candle. The first man had a uniform with pale white sleeves that were embroidered with blue illustrations of twisting tornados and crashing waves, constricted by dark gray vests, these were some Airbending Stormbenders, because Waterbenders would have white illustrated on blue sleeves. The one who followed behind had a simpler uniform, but along the same design. Lozulia was shaken and nearly knocked over the candle, "Hello," her voice shook, "what can I do for you?"<p>

"I'm glad you asked. My name is General Uyhan of the Stormbenders and we are currently searching for the Avatar that has run away from his home, would you know anything about that."

"N-no, I don't know a lick."

"Well that is rather off, because just outside is an alligator-duck, that also happens to be the Avatar's ride of choice."

"Well, you know, who doesn't have an alligator-duck?"

"A lot of people," Uyhan was unimpressed; "It's currently the only one known to exist."

"Oh. Well, I'm going to call my father, because I'm actually really new here, he's the Head Fire Sage, so he will surely be able to help you."

"Your father is the Head Sage and you're new here? That is highly-"

"DAD!" Lozulia yelled and ran to go grab him. "You just stay here."

She continued to briskly walk through the halls, when Izum stepped out of a room rubbing his eyes. "Lozulia, what is this commotion?"

She shoved her father to the side, "Hey, sorry, can't talk right now. People, front door. Go! And remember, the Avatar has never graced us!" Lozulia kept walking through the tower while Izum confusedly headed towards the front of the tower. Lozulia kicked open the team's room and said, "Oh sorry about that." She politely closed the door behind her and lit up the room with a flame in her hand, "Hey guys! Time to wake up, we have visitors!"

"Isn't it your job to greet people?" said Minege.

"Not this time, they're a little more Stormbender-y than usual." She was jumping from foot to foot.

Taresc stood up, "That's not good! That is really not good! Xulo what are we doing!" Taresc began to pace the room. "How many are there?"

"Two."

"Take me to them, Lozulia, I can take on two Stormbenders." Xulo said.

"I don't know if you remember this, but we are in an iron tower, three stories up! Unless if there's a surprise Zen garden in here, you're not going to be able to do much in the way of bending." Taresc said

"He can firebend, right? Him and I can take them." Said Lozulia. Xulo started making noise indicating that he can but not completely, "What does that mean."

Taresc elbowed Xulo and he opened his palm and a little flame sparked, Taresc let out an unimpressive, "Ta-da."

Lozulia said, "Well that's not going to do much, looks like we're going to have to sneak you out."

The team quickly arised and stepped out of the room and closed the door quietly when they heard Uyhan's voice echo through the tower, "Well, Mr. Izum, I'd like it if we could just tour the tower."

Followed by Izum's, "Well, I don't see why not."

"Good job, dad, couldn't use those Sage persuasion skills?" Lozulia turned to her guests, "Alright guys, so looks like we're not leaving easily. I'm going to need you guys to follow close and walk softly, okay?"

She lead them into an adjacent room and lifted a hatch, "Here we are, no stairs for us today." Down the hatch was a ladder leading down a floor. The team rushed down the ladder and awaited Lozulia's further direction.

Lozulia reached for the door handle, leading to the hallway when she heard, "Sergeant, did you find anybody in your room?"

Lozulia wanted to curse desperately, she thought they'd still be on the first floor and she could lead Team Avatar down to the first level while the Stormbenders go up a level, but that wasn't the case. She bit her knuckles and bounced on the balls of her feet for a second. She stopped and said, "Come on." She very silently lead the team into the hallway once she made sure the coast was clear. Once in the hallway she directed Team Avatar's attention to the wooden beams up above. She cupped her hands indicating she would help them up. One by one she lifted them up onto the beams. When she got to Taresc, she could hear the footsteps of a Stormbender incoming. Taresc was having a lot of trouble trying to pull himself onto the beam and Xulo and Minege couldn't pull him up without risking themselves falling off. The footsteps were getting louder and Lozulia got more and more anxious. Eventually as it seemed hopeless, she lit a flame under his shoe. The pain was enough to motivate him up on the beam.

Just as Taresc was on the beam, Uyhan walked around the corner, "Oh hello, you're the Sage girl that greeted us, what are you doing here?" Lozulia looked up to see Taresc making a pouty face down at Lozulia, rubbing his foot.

"Uh, just looking for my dad, so he can, you know, help you guys, you know?" Lozulia was sweating tsunamis.

"Your father, we already met with him, now we are currently searching your facility."

"Okay then, it looks like my work is done. I guess I'll just WALK BACK TO MY DESK ON THE FIRST FLOOR. You know, THE ONE BY THE ENTRANCE." Lozulia subtly put.

She began to slowly stroll down the hallway, secretly leading the team to the stairs to the first floor. When they finally got to the stairs, she indicated for them to come down from the beams. "Quickly this way!"

The team fled down the stairs and it seemed they were out of the tower when an old woman stopped the group. "Lozulia? What are you doing?"

"Not now, Sage Julbi." She tried to get past the woman.

"Wait, are these the people that those men were talking about?" She squacked.

"Izum didn't tell you guys?" She hit her forehead with her palm, "Yes, but—"

"Why are we harboring the Avatar!" Sage Julbi yelled at the top of her lungs. From a distance, the team could hear the sound of running feet.

Lozulia yelled, "Run!" Xulo and the gang dashed through the halls, out the entrance and to the very bottom with the two Stormbenders in close pursuit.

"Alright, Lozulia, let's take them!" Xulo immediately changed his stance to face to the two Stormbenders.

"Done running?" Uyhan proclaimed.

"It's a little fairer now!" Lozulia said finally with confidence.

Taresc limped over to the side of the battle arena with Minege and would watch on as the battle began. Lozulia and Xulo began fighting immediately with Xulo taking on Uyhan and Lozulia taking on the sergeant. Xulo kept bending rock after stone after boulder at Uyhan but he was too fast for him and would just blow them back with air. Lozulia was having little luck as well, she was trying to keep her fight as distant as possible with fireballs and long blasts of flames but the sergeant would keep dodging and getting right into her face. Lozulia thrusted herself towards Xulo and told him, "I have an idea. Give me a boulder."

Xulo then bended up a boulder, Lozulia then hopped onto the boulder. Xulo, taking the hint, flung the boulder at two Stormbenders, "Now spin me!" Lozulia yelled. Xulo did so, and Lozulia then spread a barrage of fire from her hands and what came was a huge tornado of fire hurtling towards them. The Stormbenders were so startled; they had to bend the air around them so they could escape the flames in time. Taking advantage of this, Xulo then sent a boulder straight for Uyhan's head and knocked him out. The sergeant then tried to help his commander in charge, but Lozulia jumped of her boulder and slammed the sergeant into the ground, knocking him out as well.

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you tell the other Sages that we were keeping the Avatar!" Lozulia yelled at her father. The sun had finally risen on Crescent Island and Lozulia and Izum were standing on the beach, beside the two tied-up and unconscious Stormbenders while in the distance, Team Avatar packed their things.<p>

"They weren't going to go for it! What was I supposed to do?" Izum replied.

Lozulia sighed and shook her head, "For shame, Izum, I expected more from you." She paced around and finally said, "Well, it looks like it's going to work out for the better. Once these two wake up, you're going to run over in that Izum-tizzy you have and you're going to say, 'Oh my word, I am so sorry, I had no clue my daughter was harboring the Avatar, that rapscallion, her! I swear none of us Sages knew of this,' and then these two will leave and that will be that."

"I'm sure they'll punish you, though, and I cannot have that!" Izum said.

"Well, I'll be long gone by then, it'll be pretty hard to reprimand me at that point." Lozulia said.

"You're leaving! When did this happen?"

Lozulia breathed in deeply, "Ah, I love the sound of you being panicked. I'm leaving with the Avatar, we discussed it last night. Xulo's firebending is basic, they know so little of the world and need a plan and honestly I'm so tired of this place, Izum, I really am." Lozulia looked pleadingly into his eyes.

"I'd say that you cannot leave and how you're destined to be such a wonderful Fire Sage, but I'm guessing that wouldn't really help in having you stay, would it?"

"Nope." Lozulia said joyfully, "I guess this is goodbye. Bye!" She began skipping off towards Team Avatar loading their belongings onto Tanton.

"But Lozulia," Izum stopped her with a grave look on his face, "Are you sure you can handle being away? With your condition, I'm not sure if you'll be able to handle—"

"Dad! I'll be fine!" She then walked over and patted him on his shoulder, "I can handle it… I promise…it won't take me." She gave Izum a hug.

Izum hugged her until it seemed like she was going to break, "I'll miss you, Lozulia!"

She managed to slip out Izum's death grip and ran off to Team Avatar, yelling back, "Now, don't let the other Sages bad mouth me too much while I'm away, especially Julbi, keep a muzzle on that one!"

She got to the group and set down her backpack, "We ready to set off?"

"Yes we are," Xulo smiled and shook her hand, "welcome to the team."

Minege was hesitant, but kind, "Yeah, welcome to our team."

"You burned my foot!" Taresc cried.

Minege slapped him by the back of his head, "Don't be rude, Taresc."

"It's true, though!"

"Well, if you had better upper arm strength I would need to go all scorched earth on your feet!" Lozulia said.

Taresc along with the team laughed, they all boarded onto Tanton and started swimming into the big blue. Lozulia looked melancholic as the team swam away, in fact when Taresc looked a little deeper there was a certain blue spark in her amber eyes; like a sadness that's about to burn, but soiled by such an overwhelming relief.


End file.
